Ayam Bakar Kecap (Indonesian Sweet Soy Grilled Chicken, 43g Protein)

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Ayam bakar kecap is the sticky, dark, sweet soy grilled chicken you see on warung menus all over Java. Each serving here is 43g of protein, and you do not need a charcoal grill to make it. Two boneless thighs per person, a quick spice paste, a short braise, then a few minutes under the broiler to get the char.

The Indonesian method is smarter than the way most of us grill chicken at home. Instead of putting raw meat over fire and hoping the inside cooks before the outside burns, the chicken is first simmered in its spice paste (a step called ungkep) until it is cooked through and seasoned to the bone. The grill then only has to do one job, which is charring the glaze. That is why the outside is blackened in spots and the inside is still juicy.

I use boneless skinless thighs because they cook fast and the protein per calorie is much better than skin-on. If you loved the spice paste on the ayam goreng berempah, this is its grilled cousin with a sweeter finish.

Why this works

The braise does three things. It cooks the chicken gently so it stays tender, it drives the shallot, garlic and coriander flavour deep into the meat instead of leaving it on the surface, and it reduces the cooking liquid into a concentrated sauce that becomes the base of the glaze. By the time the thighs hit the broiler they are already done, so the only thing you are watching for is colour.

Kecap manis is mostly palm sugar, and sugar burns. This is why the full amount of glaze goes on only at the end, and why the broiler rack sits 5 inches from the element rather than right underneath it. Brush, broil three minutes, flip, brush, three more. Any longer and the sweet crust turns bitter. The same rule applies to the babi kecap on this site, where the kecap manis also goes in late.

Ingredient notes

Kecap manis is thick, syrupy Indonesian sweet soy sauce. ABC and Bango are the two brands in most Asian grocers and either is fine. If you cannot find it, mix 3 tablespoons of regular soy sauce with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar or molasses in a small pan and warm it until the sugar dissolves and it thickens slightly. It will be a little saltier than the real thing, so hold back on the salt in the paste.

Candlenuts (kemiri) are used in Indonesian pastes for body and a faint richness. They are not essential. Raw macadamias are the standard substitute and behave the same way. If you have neither, leave them out, the dish is still good, just a touch thinner in the sauce. Do not eat candlenuts raw on their own, they need to be cooked.

Galangal has a sharp, almost piney flavour that ginger does not quite replace, but plenty of home cooks in Indonesia make this with ginger alone and I will not pretend the difference is dramatic once the kecap manis goes on. Use galangal if the shop has it, otherwise more ginger. Frozen galangal works well here since it is going into a blender anyway.

Bay leaves are standing in for daun salam, the Indonesian bay. They are different plants and taste different, but salam is hard to find outside Southeast Asia and regular bay does the job of adding a background herbal note. Lemongrass, on the other hand, is worth tracking down. The bruised stalks perfume the whole braise.

Chicken thighs are the right cut. Breast can be done the same way but reduce the covered simmer to 8 minutes and the broil to 2 minutes a side, or it will be dry. Bone-in, skin-on thighs are the traditional choice and taste great, but they add around 8g of fat per serving and need 25 minutes in the braise instead of 15.

Ayam Bakar Kecap (Indonesian Sweet Soy Grilled Chicken)

Indonesian grilled chicken done the proper two-step way: boneless thighs simmer in a shallot, garlic and coriander paste until cooked through, then go under the broiler with a kecap manis glaze until charred and sticky. 43g of protein per serving, no grill needed.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 375

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs 900g, about 8 thighs, trimmed of any big pockets of fat
• 5 shallots about 100g, peeled and roughly chopped
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 candlenuts or raw macadamia nuts optional, see notes
• 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and sliced
• 1 inch fresh galangal sliced, or skip and use 1.5 inches of ginger total
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 stalks lemongrass bottom third only, bruised with the back of a knife
• 3 bay leaves Indonesian salam leaves if you can find them
• 1 cup water 240ml
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste or 1 tbsp lime juice
• 5 tbsp kecap manis Indonesian sweet soy sauce, ABC or Bango brand, see notes for a substitute
• 1 tbsp lime juice to finish
• 2 red chilies thinly sliced, to serve
• 2 tbsp fried shallots store bought, to serve

Method

 

1. Blend the shallots, garlic, candlenuts, ginger, galangal, coriander, turmeric and salt with 2 tablespoons of water into a rough paste. A small blender or a mortar and pestle both work. It does not need to be perfectly smooth.
2. Heat the oil in a wide pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the spice paste, lemongrass and bay leaves and fry, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes until the raw shallot smell is gone and the paste has darkened slightly and started to stick.
3. Add the chicken thighs and turn them in the paste until coated. Pour in the water and tamarind and add 2 tablespoons of the kecap manis. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes, turning the thighs once halfway.
4. Uncover and raise the heat. Let the liquid bubble down for 5 to 8 minutes, turning the chicken now and then, until only a few tablespoons of thick, dark sauce remain clinging to the meat. Fish out the lemongrass and bay leaves. The chicken is fully cooked at this point.
5. Stir the remaining 3 tablespoons of kecap manis into whatever sauce is left in the pan to make the glaze. Set the broiler to high and put a rack about 5 inches from the element. Line a sheet pan with foil.
6. Lay the thighs on the pan and brush with glaze. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes until the edges char and the sugar in the glaze starts to blister. Flip, brush with more glaze, and broil another 3 minutes. Watch it closely, kecap manis goes from caramelised to burnt in under a minute.
7. Squeeze the lime juice over the chicken, then scatter the sliced chili and fried shallots on top. Serve with rice, sambal and cucumber slices.

Tips and storage

The braise step can be done up to 3 days ahead. Cook the thighs through, reduce the sauce, then cool everything in a container in the fridge. On the day, glaze and broil straight from cold, adding a minute per side. This is how I handle it for meal prep, because braised chicken keeps beautifully and the char is best fresh.

Leftover grilled chicken keeps 4 days in the fridge. Reheat in a hot pan or the air fryer at 375F for 4 minutes rather than the microwave, which softens the glaze. Sliced cold over rice with cucumber and a spoon of sambal, it is a solid lunch box, similar to the way I pack the grilled lemongrass chicken.

No broiler? A grill pan or cast iron skillet over high heat works. Brush the thighs with glaze and sear 2 to 3 minutes a side until charred. An air fryer at 400F for 5 minutes, flipping and brushing halfway, also gets you close, though the char is more even and less smoky. And if you do have a charcoal grill going, this is the recipe that was built for it: the braised thighs need only 3 minutes a side over the coals.

Serve with steamed rice, sliced cucumber and tomato, and sambal. Sambal oelek from a jar is fine. The chicken is sweet, so something sharp and hot next to it is not optional in my kitchen.